The Microsoft Optical Mouse by Starck

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In the world of PCs, it’s so often function that soundly trounces form. As power users, we’re consumed with efficient algorithms, tight clock cycles, gobs of meaty storage, and various other technical bells and whistles that float our geeky boats. But what about aesthetics? Is there a place for cutting-edge artistic design in the midst of all that silicon and wires? Microsoft thinks so.

Enter Philippe Starck, a famous architect and industrial designer with a keen eye for reinventing everyday objects. From Fossil watches to Puma sneakers, he’s remade countless common items. Now he’s remade the mouse.

The chassis of the input device, officially known as the Optical Mouse by Starck, mimics the shape of the human brain’s left and right hemisphere, with the added touch of an illuminating strip down the center. According to the designer, this strip signifies life, flowing down the center of the object and perhaps — this is our conjecture — symbolizing the conjoining of human and mechanical. This level of artistic expression is rarely, if ever, seen in PC design–let alone in a mere peripheral component.

However, the lighted strip exemplifies the mouse’s “form over function” design. The sheer amount of power needed to keep it lit requires the unit to be connected via USB to suck up enough power from the PC.

But this doesn’t necessarily make this mouse less appealing. Read on to find out more.